2010 Prius still shakes after head gasket job and EGR + intake cleaning

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by infinitepub, May 7, 2025 at 9:21 PM.

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  1. infinitepub

    infinitepub New Member

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    Hello,

    My 2010 Prius had a blown head gasket with the typical symptoms of rough shaking, white smoke, and low coolant levels. I went ahead and did the job myself and followed a lot of the suggestions from this forum. I made sure to check for warpage, valve leaks, piston/rod condition, replaced water pump, replaced thermostat, replaced PVC valve, and replaced all required gaskets with OEM.

    The car ran smooth at first with the symptoms clearing up. I took it on a test drive for about 5 miles before I started to notice some minor shaking coming from the front.

    I assumed it was probably the EGR and intake causing it because I only cleaned them a briefly, so I took the intake & EGR out to thoroughly clean them. This time around I cleaned them until there was no carbon left in both components. I used oven degreaser for the EGR cooler, parts cleaner for the EGR valve, and purple power for the intake manifold.

    I just put the intake and EGR back onto the car and now it shakes violently upon start up. I scanned for codes and saw nothing. I let the car run for about a minute to see if maybe it would clear up or perhaps a code would pop up eventually, but neither occurred. I had a local Toyota technician stop by my house to assess the car and he suggests the shaking is coming from the transmission. He says it's possibly a component within the transmission which might have come loose that's causing this shake. I'm not too familiar with the transmissions in the hybrid Toyotas, so I am in need of help with diagnosing the problem.

    I am posting on this forum for possible leads/ second opinions on what could be the issue? What are some other diagnostic tests I should complete?
     
    #1 infinitepub, May 7, 2025 at 9:21 PM
  2. Brian1954

    Brian1954 Senior Member

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    Did you take the head to a machine shop to get it looked at?

    Did you double-check the timing of the camshafts to the crankshaft?

    There is a damper that is located between the engine and transmission. The springs in the damper can break because of the misfires due to the bad head gasket. How long (miles and time) did you drive the car after you first noticed the shaking during a cold startup?
     
    #2 Brian1954, May 7, 2025 at 10:33 PM
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  3. BiomedO1

    BiomedO1 Senior Member

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    Did you check the head & block for warps with a straight edge? Did you replace the head/stretch bolts, used a quality head gasket, torque-down the head bolts per OEM specifications and pattern?
     
    #3 BiomedO1, May 7, 2025 at 11:52 PM
  4. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    First, let's hope a rod was not ready to bend or break or the transaxle damper springs have not broken.

    I have seen head bolts that were not torqued properly pop a hg again.

    Compression test for serious rod or piston issues and a borescope with coolant system pressure for a possible repeat head gasket.

    This symptom is key. Hopefully it was with the engine running and car moving and not immediately after a stop light and subsequent engine start.

    Your definition of "minor shaking" is important. Was it way less than the violent shaking pre head gasket? If so it could have been a vacuum leak or similar now made worse after tearing down the intake and egr again. Maybe the plugs are now fouled by fuel or coolant or some hose is disconnected.
     
    #4 rjparker, May 8, 2025 at 12:52 AM
  5. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    What miles did symptoms start at, and what miles did you do the head gasket replacement and (eventual) thorough EGR cleaning? Aforementioned damper (at engine /transaxle interface) and/or bent piston arm(s) are possible factors. Or another head gasket failure, depending on the delay between head gasket replacement and EGR cleaning.
     
    #5 Mendel Leisk, May 8, 2025 at 9:25 AM
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